Published: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 1:31 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 1:31 p.m.

LELAND | Clint Cuthriell's Bronze Star came to him out of the blue. And perhaps that's appropriate because as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, that's how he ferried troops and supplies into combat zones.

Last September Cuthriell, a vice president and financial adviser with RBC Wealth Management, attended a reunion in Kansas for members of the Army's 60th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade. Someone asked him if he'd written the Army for his medical records. He hadn't, but later he requested his flight records and medical records.

“Three months later a package came in the mail,” he recalled at his Leland home. It contained all of his medals, including a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service.

“I thought it was an error,” he said.

He was never aware he'd received that Bronze Star, which was awarded to him shortly before the end of his service in Vietnam.

Military service seemed like a natural step for Cuthriell. He grew up in Norfolk, Va., son of a Navy chief petty officer who took the boy on tours of ships at the huge Naval base.

Cuthriell believes he was among the youngest aircraft commanders to fly combat missions in Vietnam. He pre-qualified at 17 and joined the Army on Sept. 18, 1970, just after he turned 18.

By the time he was 19, he was in charge of a UH-1, or Huey, flying men and supplies over mountainous terrain near the coast.

It was tough flying, he recalled, with unpredictable, high winds.

“That was exciting,” he said drily.

Many of his missions involved dropping off and picking up combat assault troops.

U.S. forces would “prep the landing zone” by using artillery, and then AH-1G Cobra helicopters would fire on the site using rockets and grenade launchers.

Only then would Cuthriell's Huey come swooping in at low altitude. He often landed under fire, sometimes hovering if the ground was rocky, as the soldiers hopped off.

He also flew water and supplies to remote outposts, many manned by South Koreans, our allies.

He made scores of landings a day, battling fatigue that could cause mistakes.

Seven months into his yearlong tour, he came back to the States on leave and visited his fiance.

“It was tough to go back,” he said.

When his service was over in 1973, he came home to study accounting at Old Dominion University, graduating in just three years. He worked for General Electric, initially auditing various businesses, but was later assigned to the aircraft engines plant in Castle Hayne as the plant's finance manager.

He returned to Wilmington and joined Merrill Lynch in 1990. Now he's with RBC Wealth Management. His two children are grown.

Although Cuthriell didn't feel much of the animosity that returning Vietnam veterans received during the more politically charged 1960s, he believes political concerns doomed the war effort.

“We could have won,” he said softly.

U.S. relations with China and Russia had an impact on how the war was conducted, he said.

And there was great pressure from the American public to end the war, America's longest conflict until Afghanistan.

But even before discovering he'd been awarded the Bronze Star, Cuthriell was satisfied with his role in the conflict.

“I'm very proud of what I accomplished,” he said. “There are not too many 19-year-old aircraft commanders.”

Column idea? Contact Si Cantwell at 343-2364 or Si.Cantwell@StarNewsOnline.com, or follow him on Twitter.com: @SiCantwell.

<p>LELAND | Clint Cuthriell's Bronze Star came to him out of the blue. And perhaps that's appropriate because as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, that's how he ferried troops and supplies into combat zones.</p><p>Last September Cuthriell, a vice president and financial adviser with RBC Wealth Management, attended a reunion in Kansas for members of the Army's 60th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade. Someone asked him if he'd written the Army for his medical records. He hadn't, but later he requested his flight records and medical records.</p><p>“Three months later a package came in the mail,” he recalled at his <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9971"><b>Leland</b></a> home. It contained all of his medals, including a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service.</p><p>“I thought it was an error,” he said.</p><p>He was never aware he'd received that Bronze Star, which was awarded to him shortly before the end of his service in Vietnam.</p><p>Military service seemed like a natural step for Cuthriell. He grew up in Norfolk, Va., son of a Navy chief petty officer who took the boy on tours of ships at the huge Naval base.</p><p>Cuthriell believes he was among the youngest aircraft commanders to fly combat missions in Vietnam. He pre-qualified at 17 and joined the Army on Sept. 18, 1970, just after he turned 18.</p><p>By the time he was 19, he was in charge of a UH-1, or Huey, flying men and supplies over mountainous terrain near the coast.</p><p>It was tough flying, he recalled, with unpredictable, high winds.</p><p>“That was exciting,” he said drily.</p><p>Many of his missions involved dropping off and picking up combat assault troops.</p><p>U.S. forces would “prep the landing zone” by using artillery, and then AH-1G Cobra helicopters would fire on the site using rockets and grenade launchers.</p><p>Only then would Cuthriell's Huey come swooping in at low altitude. He often landed under fire, sometimes hovering if the ground was rocky, as the soldiers hopped off.</p><p>He also flew water and supplies to remote outposts, many manned by South Koreans, our allies.</p><p>He made scores of landings a day, battling fatigue that could cause mistakes.</p><p>Seven months into his yearlong tour, he came back to the States on leave and visited his fiance.</p><p>“It was tough to go back,” he said.</p><p>When his service was over in 1973, he came home to study accounting at Old Dominion University, graduating in just three years. He worked for General Electric, initially auditing various businesses, but was later assigned to the aircraft engines plant in Castle Hayne as the plant's finance manager.</p><p>He returned to Wilmington and joined Merrill Lynch in 1990. Now he's with RBC Wealth Management. His two children are grown.</p><p>Although Cuthriell didn't feel much of the animosity that returning Vietnam veterans received during the more politically charged 1960s, he believes political concerns doomed the war effort.</p><p>“We could have won,” he said softly.</p><p>U.S. relations with China and Russia had an impact on how the war was conducted, he said.</p><p>And there was great pressure from the American public to end the war, America's longest conflict until Afghanistan.</p><p>But even before discovering he'd been awarded the Bronze Star, Cuthriell was satisfied with his role in the conflict.</p><p>“I'm very proud of what I accomplished,” he said. “There are not too many 19-year-old aircraft commanders.”</p><p><i></p><p>Column idea? Contact <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic22"><b>Si Cantwell</b></a> at 343-2364 or Si.Cantwell@StarNewsOnline.com, or follow him on <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>.com: @SiCantwell.</i></p>